In a world Troubled with people running for Shelter, all Ray says is to Be Here Now.

Cheesy? Uh, yeah! Still True? Yes. I thrive on a packed calendar and a constant need for stimulus. In fact, anyone that knows me would probably say this is an understatement. I find that it’s tough to quiet all the noise and just be focused on one thing. My November night with Ray LaMontagne was going to be a very special treat…

As Ray LaMontagne was about to take the stage at Atlanta’s Fabulous Fox Theater, a hush fell over the sold out audience. Finally, a bearded man quietly made his way to center stage and grabbed his acoustic guitar. Of course, your trusty blogger started crying immediately (Why am I crying????) as he started to play my personal bedtime lullaby called “Be Here Now.” And finally, his song quieted the cacophony of my everyday life, and for an hour and a half, I was able to be here…now.

Ray has been classified as a singer/songwriter and a folk artist but it almost seems too limiting. The sound is incredibly refreshing and it sounds like a current rendition of something we’ve never heard. It’s that voice! That raspy voice that can be quiet and breathy, but the power hits you like a freight train.

I looked around and noticed the audience was on the edge of their seats, too. You could hear random misplaced hoots and hollars of people shouting things like “Take it Off!,” “Jesus,” (What? Ray was a carpenter at one point – ha!), and dudes shouting “I Love You Ray.” There seems to be a reverant respect inherent at a Ray show which made these spirited calls even more uncomfortably funny. As he continued to work through his library of music and a few covers, I could feel chills run up and down my spine and hear audible gasps in the audience as he would belt out note after note. His music turns my skin inside out – and his voice is like a heartbeat that echoes through my bones.

Before the show, I read someone’s comment on a Facebook page…and it said “Oh Ray. Your voice is like honey mixed with tears.” I posted this song in honor of my 5 year old niece. Her name is Sarah and when I played this song for her this past summer, we both held each other’s hands and danced around the living room with nothing but magic in that special moment.

www.raylamontagne.com

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